As many of you know, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the United States. The exhibition space is ever changing, as apposed to a collecting institution, P.S.1 appears to display some of the most experimental art in the nation. As P.S.1 actively pursues emerging artists, and adventurous new work it's no surprise that they began a trend in outdoor art spaces more than 10 years ago with their Young Architects Program, making it one of my favorite places to visit in the summer.
Each year, one emerging architectural group wins the chance to present an urban landscape for the large courtyard entrance of P.S.1, with the allotted project budget of $70,000. The entrants of the competition were required to incorporate elements of shade, water, seating, and bar areas into the project. The courtyard opens up into a dance area, where the Warm Up Music Series takes place.
This year's Warm Up series did not disappoint, with amazing bands, DJ's and the most eclectic dance crowd I've ever been a part of. The beats and rhythms kept the crowd moving through some blazing summer heat and even some thick heavy raindrops. While cooling off from the dance floor, we also got a chance to check out the 2009 winning landscape, by MOS architects. Although the installation was described as an "urban shelter," through a series of tall hut-like columns with dark thatched skin it looked a lot like an Ewok cave to me. The interior of the cone-like shelters covered in black fur, which the creators called "cooling chimneys," provided shade and some interesting views of the cloudy sky it did not entice me to lounge with my friends, discuss it's design elements, or even pretend I was on an exclusive music powered beach as I've done in the past. Photos below. What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment